Mike Spinelli

Our buddy Chris stopped by the Arizona International Auto Show in Phoenix over the weekend. It was 145 degrees in the shade, the peyote was flowing, the Armadillos were trying not to give anyone leprosy, and the locals were shooting at polecats from the portholes of their Gulfstream trailers. Next year, we're going too, if only so we don't have to make up an entire opening scenario based on Jim Jarmusch movies.

Best interior award goes to the audi a6 avant — everything just right, excellent materials, and the seats were a Amaretto color. Just great. 2nd prize went to the s4 cabriolet. Drool.

Best exterior color was on the new Honda Si: dark, burnt orange metallic. Sounds gross but it worked. Honda kudos: they kept the batteries going sose y'all can play with the nav/mp3/radio etc.

Not a lot of folks at the Suzuki booth.

Lincoln Zephyr, which is a tarted up Mazda 6, is exactly that. But the execution of the tarting was quite poor. $35k for that?! How 'bout a 1 yr. old 330i or 3 yr. old s4 instead? Or a Mazda 6?

New passats are great, but just who are they competing with?

Biggest denial: Buick Lucerne is actually good looking. Also the Saturn Sky(?...its Solstace twin) is great as well.

Obvious rant award goes to me: $9 for this?! And only 5 "concept" cars, all of which already appeared in some magazine or another a year ago? Only 2 Jags?

Could more kids spill more sodas in more interiors? Could more jugheads barf out more incorrect information on more cars? Ex: "Yeah, those hybrids ... but you'd get electricuted. Where does it plug in?"